PUBLISHED ONMarch 25, 2014 11:30 PM
SINGAPORE - Radin Mas MP Sam Tan got close to the ground and lifted drain covers to check for mosquito breeding sites at Telok Blangah Crescent last Sunday.
He and more than 20 Dengue Prevention Volunteer Group members also visited residents in three blocks to remind them of good habits to keep dengue at bay, such as overturning water containers.
More than 2,000 volunteers islandwide have joined the group, trained by the National Environment Agency (NEA), since April last year.
The "Do the Mozzie Wipeout at Radin Mas" initiative comes as the number of dengue cases rises in the first two months of 2014, which the NEA has called a "challenging year" for the dengue fight.
From Jan 1 to March 8, some 3,122 dengue cases were reported - up 25 per cent from last year's figure of 2,503.
The Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue thrives in hot weather, so the number of dengue cases usually climbs when temperatures soar. Although Singapore has had relief from a drawn-out dry spell, daily maximum temperatures still exceed 30 deg C.
Last year, dengue hit a record 22,170 people, about twice that in the previous peak in 2005. But fewer deaths were reported: seven in 2013 compared with 25 in 2005.
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